Device for supporting bedclothes



Dec. 8, 1931. w. F. MCKAY 1,835,798

DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING BEDCLOTHES Filed March-B31, 1928 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 by AIL/5 Dec. 8, 1931.

w. F M KAY DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING BEDCLOTHES Filed March 31, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 8, 1931 sTArEs ILLIAM r, MCKAY, or LA GRANGE, rLLI-N-oIs DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING BEDCLO'I'HES Application filed March 31, 1928. Serial No. 266,270.

My invention relates to beds and more particularly to a support for elevating the covers at the foot of the bed so that they will not prgss against the feet of the occupant of the be c The principal object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simply constructed and operated and also readily installed device which may either lie fiat beneath the bed clothes or be elevated to raise the latter and so take their weight off the feet.

A further object is to produce a device of the above character suitable to insert and remain in position ready for use at foot, head 1 or side in a made-up bedand adapted to concealment from observation by conforming adjustably to the top surface of the mat tress and by embedment in the mattress and bed clothes thereof.

29' Another object is to produce a device of the above character formed to substantially conform to and substantially confine to the outline of a sectional view of the edge portion 7 of a mattress. V

A still further object is to produce a device of the above character adapted to elevate and support the clothes to a practical height substantially straight up from the outside edge of the mattress in one position and in another position to support the clothes inan inclined position from the edge of the mattress, means being provided for compensation for loss in height of the supporting device in the second position due to itsinclination., I r

Other and further important. objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the following description which sets forth the preferred form of my invention.

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the "device in extended position.

Figure 2 is aside elevation ofthe same with a part in section.

Figure 3 is a section onthe 11119111411 of Figure 2. r

Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 1. l I

Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figure l showing the partsin different relative posltions. I

Figure 7 is a rear elevation of a part of the end of a bed with the device in position thereon. 7 7 5-5 Figure 8 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 but showing the bed 1 clothes support in three difierent positions. 7

Figure 10 is a detail View partly in section of a modified form of construction. 7

Figurell is a section on the line XIXI of Figure 10. i v i Asshown on the drawings: i

The device comprises a base A formed of a single length of stout rod having a central horizontal U-shaped part or bight 1. The ends of this U-shaped portion or bight are, first bent. outwardly at 2, then upwardly at 3, then forwardly at 4 and inwardly at 5 thus forming stops or abutments: Each of these bends in therod has its own particular pur-. pose, as will be described later. i 1 a The bed clothes support B proper is likewise formed of a single length of stout rod having acentral U-shaped part6. The ends of this U-shaped portion are bent forwardl and thenaround the parts 3 of the base X to form loops 7.

The, U-shaped part 6 of the clothes support B is shorter than the distance between the uprights 3 of the base A so. that it may swing therebetween except as otherwise restricted. This swinging movement is restricted in one or otheror both of two ways. First, the inwardly projecting'tips 5 of, the base A may engage the arms of the clothes support B as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. Second, the loops 7 may bind the parts 3 as a result of the tilting of the clothes supporting member Band so prevent further tilting of the latter. As shown, the loops are bent at an acute'angle with respect to the arms of the support to cause the binding action to occur earlier in backward movement andlater in forward movement than would otherwise be the case, as indicated in Figure 2. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the parts are in such a position that both of these methods are ini volved. WVhen the supporting member B is raised, contact with the tips 5 ceases and the supporting member is held at the angle shown in Figures 1, 2 and i solely by the binding of the loops 7 on the uprights 3. Nhen the supporting member is lowered, the binding of the loops 7 ceases but the tips 5 compel the supporting member to assume a position which becomes progressively more vertical as the loops 7 slide down the uprights 3.

The upper ends of the uprights 3 are bent forwardly at 4 and then inwardly at 5. The purpose and function of this forward bend 4.- is to allow the clothes supporting member B to swing forwardly until such member lies horizontally on the bed as shown in Figure 6, without the loops 7 binding.

The support B should preferably be free to swing not merely into horizontal position but below for various reasons. First, the thickness of the mattress and clothes thereon may vary, and it is, desirable to allow the support to rest on the mattress when the surface of the latter is in the same horizontal plane as the loops 7 or slightly below the same. Second, the supportshould'be free to swing downwardly until the central part 6 of the support rests on the central part of the base. These contacting portions may then be tied together so as to form a compact par- (%l for shipment.

The lower ends of the uprights 3 are bent inwardly at 2 to prevent the loops 7 passing from the uprights'3 onto the arms of the horizontal U-shaped part 1 of the base. In its lowermost position the clothes supporting member B assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, except, of course, when drawn forward to contact with the tips 5 by. the pressure of the bed clothes thereon.

In Figures 10 and 11 a modification is illustratcd consisting of a yoke 8, the arms of therefrom, shown in Figure 7.

which are apertured for the passage of the uprights 3. The arms are arranged on either side of the loops 7 so that by locking the yokes 8 to the uprights 3, the loops 7 are likewise locked against sliding movement on the uprights. The locking means consists of a thumb screw Q DaSSIUQ thru the center of the yoke and bearing against the loop 7 As shown, the uprights 8 may to advantage be flattened and the loops 7 corres ondin l T flati p g 3 tened'so as to give a greater grip between such parts.

In operatioin'the horizontal'part 1 of'the base Ais slipped under the mattress at the end of the bed, asshown in Figures 7, 8 and 9. The width of 'the device is preferably such that its sidesdo not conie to the side edges of the mattress but are'positioned a distance I i The uprights 3 are preferably of such height that when the clothes supporting member B is in its horizontal position, neither the latter nor the upper ends of the uprights will project materially above the top of the mattress and preferably be embedded in the vertical and top surfaces of the mattress.

The bed is usually made up with the clothes supporting member horizontal. Then the occupant of the bed can elevate the member by merely raising it with his toes and pushing it backwards when the pressure of the clothes on-the member will cause the latter to slide down the uprights until. either the loops 7 or the tips 5 hold the member in more or less upright position.

' The clothes support is arranged so that it has three positions of adjustment, one substanti ally vertical, an other substantially horizontal forwardly, and the third at an angle intermediate the first two positions. The first and last positions are used according as occasi on demands'that the clothes be elevated to their maximum height close to the foot, edge or head of the mattress'orat a distance there from. For instance, when a sick person is lying propped up by pillows for eating, reading or the like, the feet are drawn up away from the bottom of the mattress into the positi on shown in dotted lines in Figure 9. lVhen, however, the sick person wishes to sleep, the body is moved toward the foot of the bed so that the feet are then close to the foot of the mattress. The first position of the feet requires the inclined position of the cl othes'support and the second position of the feet requires the vertical position of the clothes support.

As the clothes support is moved from the substantially vertical to the inclined position, the upper margintends to drop. In the construction shown, this tendency is counterbalanced bythe fact that the loops of the support about which the latter swings are lower in the vertical than in the inclined position, so th at the actual height of the upper margin or central part of the clothes support above the mattress issubstantiallythe same in both vertical and inclined positions.

The construction of the device from rod or heavy wire is not only very cheap and simple to-manufacture, but also has the great advantage that the device, on account of the narrowness ofthe parts, will readily embed itself in the'mattress and clothes as indicated in Figures 7 8 and 9.

In other words, the ratio of the weight of the bed coverings on the support to the resistance of the mattress and clothes to embedment of the support into the latter is much greater than it would be werethe support formed of sheet metal or the like having a large superficial area of contact with the bed.

. For hospital use it may be desirable to make the distance between the uprights greater than the width of the mattress to allow the latter to be slipped therebetween. With such construction, the arms of both base and clothes supporting member would preferably be inclined toward their outer portions, the inclination of the arms of the base being to secure proper support and the inclination of the arms of the clothes supportin member being to avoid undue elevation of the clothes at the sides of the bed.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a Wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise'than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device-of the class described comprising a base member, said base member consisting of a single length of wire in U-shaped formation with the end portions bent up-- wardly providing a pair of uprights, a clothes supporting member having loops thereon encircling said uprights and slide able and swingable thereon, said uprights having stops thereon in the path of movement of said supporting member for limiting forward angular movement of the supporting member with respect to the base member.

2. A device of the class described comprising a member having a pair of uprights connected together at the lower ends thereof, and bent at an angle to said members to form a bight as a base for said members, a clothes supporting member having arms terminating in loops encircling said uprights and slidable vertically thereon, and forwardly and laterally bent tips on said uprights in the path of movement of said supporting member engageable by said arms to limit forward movement of said supporting member with respect to said base member.

3. A device of the class described comprising a base member consisting of a single length of rod in U-shaped form and having upright arms, a clothes support member consisting of a single length of rod in U-shaped form, the arms of which have loops at the end encircling the upright arms of the base member, the distance between the insides of the arms of one of said members being great er than the distance between the outsides of the arms of the other member to allow one member to swing forwardly inside of the other member to allow one member to swing forwardly inside of the other member, and forwardly and laterally bent tips on the upright arms of the base member to limit the extent of such swinging movement.

4:. A device ofthe class described including a base member, said base member consisting of a single length of wire in U-shaped formation. the end portions being bent upwardly at right angles to the plane of the base, a clothes supporting member having loops encircling said upward bent portions movably connected thereto and capable of the free margin of the supporting member whenswung in the said opposite direction to falljbelow the point ofpivotal connection between the two members.

'6. A device of the class described including.

a base member, said base member consisting of a single length of wire in U-shaped formation, the end portions being bent upwardly at right angles to the plane of the base, a U- shaped clothes supporting member having loops on the ends of the arms enga ing the uprights of the base members for sli ing and swinging movement of the supporting member on the base member, and stops on one of said members positioned to limit the forward movement of the supporting member relatively to the base member in one direction when the ends of the arms of said members are in contact.

7 A device of the class described comprising a base member insertable under the mattress of a bed, said base member consisting of a single length of wire of U-shaped formation, the end portion being straight and bent upwardly at right angles to the plane of the base and terminating in stops, a substantially U-shaped bed clothes supporting member arranged normally to rest on the top of a mattress and having loops encircling the uprights of said base member and said stops on said upwardly projecting portions of the base member serving to support the clothes support member in clothes supporting position.

8. A device for elevating bed clothes above a mattress including two members each fashioned from a single piece of wire rod material,

one a base member having a bight with uprights rising from the bight, the other a clothes supporting member of substantially Ushape having a crosswise central portion and two arms terminating in loops encircling said uprights and which loops slidably and swingably travel on the base uprights, and stops on said uprights cooperating with said loops when said supporting member is raised for maintaining said supporting member in adjusted angular position'on said base member.

9. A device of the class described including two relatively movable members, one of said members being L-shaped in side elevation with a horizontal portion thereof substantially U-shaped in plan, the upright ends of the L-shaped memberbeing disconnected and each having a stop thereon, the other of said members being substantially U-shaped with loops in the ends of the arms thereof engaging the uprights of the first member, the plane of the loop of the second member being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the arms of the second member, the stops on the uprights of said first member being in the path ofthe arms of the second member when swung in one direction, said stops'and said loops cooperating to maintain said two members in adjusted angular relationwhen "said second member is swung against said stops.

- In testimony whereof I have hereunto'subscribed my name at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. 1 7 WILLIAM F. MoKAY. 

